FSIN Slams Premier’s Lower Drinking Age Idea
Wednesday, December 17, 2003 at 13:37
The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations doesn’t like Premier Lorne Calvert’s idea to reduce the legal drinking age to from 19 to 18.
Calvert says he’s thinking about lowering the drinking age in order to keep more post-secondary students in Saskatchewan from moving to provinces like Alberta and Manitoba, which allow 18-year-olds to consume alcohol.
FSIN Vice Chief Guy Lonechild says that type of change would certainly hurt First Nations people — many of whom already battle with alcoholism.
Lonechild says the provincial government should be thinking about raising the legal drinking age to 21, not lowering it.
Lonechild says the answer to keeping young people in the province is placing more emphasis on job creation and economic development.